Organic gardening has been gaining in popularity for years, mostly due to environmental concerns. Gardeners are becoming less willing to dump chemicals into the soil and water, less willing to pollute our environment in the name of a “perfect” garden. The more we learn, the more it becomes evident that organic gardeners are ahead of the curve health-wise as well.
Organic gardening leads to better health in three main ways:
- When you garden organically, you greatly reduce your exposure to pesticides, which have been linked to many severe health problems.
- Organically-grown food is more nutritious than food grown using conventional methods.
- Organic gardeners tend to use “muscle-power” rather than “machine-power” for gardening tasks, thereby burning more calories.
Less Pesticide Exposure
The more we learn about the effect of pesticides on our health, the more grim the results are. Here are just a few health issues that have been linked to pesticide use:
- In a study published by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, it was found that women who regularly used common home and garden pesticides had a greater incidence of breast cancer.
- Pesticides have been shown to have an impact on the brain and central nervous system. According to a study at the University of Chicago, some of the issues pesticides are linked to are anxiety, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and personality changes.
- Reproductive problems, including birth defects, stillbirth, miscarriage, and infertility have all been linked to pesticide exposure. (Source: University of Chicago)
- Children whose yards were sprayed with insecticides and herbicides were found to have four times the risk of developing certain cancers, according to the American Journal of Public Health. Their study found that children from birth to fourteen years of age whose yards were treated annually had four times the risk of developing soft tissue sarcomas and malignant tumors of the connective tissue when compared to their healthy counterparts.
- The Mayo Clinic has found that pesticide exposure increases the incidence of Parkinson's disease in men. Men diagnosed with Parkinson's were 2.4 times more likely to have been exposed to pesticides than men who didn't have Parkinson's.
- According to the March of Dimes, pesticide exposure during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, has been found to increase the risk of oral clefts, neural tube defects, heart defects, and limb defects.
Organically Grown Food is More Nutritious
Studies have shown that food grown organically has more antioxidants than food grown using conventional methods. The reason behind this is that when plants are under certain kinds of natural stress, such as insects, diseases, or weather extremes, they produce compounds called flavonoids, many of which are antioxidants. When the plant is “babied” and protected against these stresses by pesticide and fertilizer applications, it doesn't have to fight, and therefore produces fewer antioxidants.
Organic growing methods increase antioxidant levels anywhere from a few percent to triple the amount found in conventionally grown produce. In a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, scientists studied antioxidant levels in three commonly-grown crops: corn, blackberries, and strawberries. They grew one group organically and the other using conventional methods (chemical fertilizers and pesticides). The results were astounding:
- Antioxidant levels in organically grown corn were 58.5% higher than in conventionally grown corn.
- Organically grown blackberries had a 50% advantage over their conventional counterparts.
- Strawberries grown organically had 19% more antioxidants when grown organically.
Antioxidants are important because they fight against free radicals, which are responsible for a variety of health problems ranging from joint and muscle pain to cancer. Recently, researchers have also begun studying the effects of antioxidants in the battle against Type 2 diabetes.
In addition to increased antioxidants, organically grown vegetables have been proven to have higher concentrations of nutrients. Rutgers University tested produce from the grocery store (typically grown using conventional farming methods) against organically grown produce. The results were amazing. The organic produce had much greater amounts of iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. For example, regular spinach had only three percent of the iron found in organic spinach. There was an even bigger discrepancy between organic and conventional tomatoes. Only a tiny fraction of the iron in an organic tomato was found in the conventional one.
Besides these obvious advantages, when you eat organic produce, you aren't ingesting any harmful fertilizers and pesticides. You can actually eat the peel, which contains a high amount of nutrients and fiber. There is no doubt that eating organically is healthier.
Organic Gardeners Burn More Calories
Organic gardeners tend to not only be concerned with things like pesticide risk and nutrition---they're also typically concerned about the environment. Why grow chemical-free, nutrient-dense food and then go on to pollute the air you're breathing? Organic gardeners are more likely to use “muscle power” rather than “machine power.” To that end, they burn more calories working in the garden. It may not seem like a big difference, but it can add up. Here are some comparisons of calories burned in 30 minutes of yard work:
- Mowing the lawn with a gas-powered mower=182 calories
- Mowing the lawn with a push mower=243 calories
- Trimming shrubs with a power trimmer=142 calories
- Trimming shrubs with manual clippers=182 calories
- Removing snow with a gas-powered snow thrower=182 calories
- Shoveling snow=243 calories
- Moving leaves with a leaf blower=85 calories
- Raking leaves=162 calories
How do these add up?
- If you mow your lawn once per week with a push mower instead of a gas mower, you would burn an additional 3,172 calories per year.
- If you trim shrubs three times per year using manual clippers instead of power shears, you would burn an additional 120 calories per year.
- If you shovel instead of use a snow blower 4 times per year, you would burn an additional 244 calories per year.
- If you rake six time per year instead of using a leaf blower, you would burn an additional 462 pounds per year.
Organic gardening is a way of life---a healthy way of life. Even small changes will add to your overall health. Grow organic. Don't treat your yard and garden with pesticides and herbicides. Eat organic produce (hopefully grown in your own garden!) as often as you can, and use your own power to accomplish routine lawn and garden chores. You'll feel better, and you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that you're living and gardening in an environmentally healthy way.
For More Information, Check Out These Related Articles:
Pesticides on Fruits and Vegetables by Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Organic Gardening by Sally Morton
Organic Foods and Pregnancy by Brenda Lane
